5Th Marines 1St Marine Division, FMF, in the Field, Korea
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1st Battalion, 5th Marines 1st Marine Division, FMF, In the Field, Korea 7 October, 1950 SPECIAL ACTION REPORT Maps: Map of Korea, 1:50,000, AMS L571. Sketches: 1. Inchon Landing 2. Battalion Operations South of Han River 3. Attack of Hill 105 4. Battalion Operations North of Han River 1. INTRODUCTION: This report is submitted in accordance with a directive received from the Commanding Officer, 5th Marines and paragraph 11401.2A, Marine Corps Manual. The purpose of this report is to provide a concise, complete record of the actions in which this unit participated during the period 30 August to 7 October, 1950. Missions assigned this battalion were issued by the next higher echelon, The 5th Marines. 2. TASK ORGANIZATION: BLT 1/5 37 Officers,1026 Enlisted LtCol G. R. NEWTON H&S Company Capt W. E. GODENIUS TACP 1stLt J. W. SMITH FGF Liaison Lt. C. O. GREVE, USN Arty Liaison 1st Lt. J. J. SNYDER "A" Company Capt. J. R. STEVENS "B" Company Capt. F. I. FENTON, Jr. "C" Company 1st Lt P. F. PEDERSEN Weapons Company Maj J. W. RUSSELL Korean National Police Plt. SSgt J. L. WILLIS At various times, as noted in paragraph 7, elements of the following units were attached, depending on whether the Battalion was in assault or reserve: 75MM Recoilless Gun Company, 5th Marines One Platoon 4.2" Mortar Company, 5th Marines 3rd Platoon, Company "A", 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division Detachment of "B" Company, 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division Detachment of Reconnaissance Company, 1st Marine Division 3. PRELIMINARY PLANNING: The schedule, as set forth by higher headquarters, required this Battalion to be ready in all respects to embark aboard ship at Pusan, Korea on 11 September, 1950. All organizational equipment was prepared and vehicles loaded for an amphibious landing. The preliminary planning of the Battalion consisted of reorganization and resupply. The reorganization consisted of joining a rifle company and additional sections of Weapons Company. These units were newly arrived from the United States. The rifle company was designated as "C" Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines. Military maps of the landing area were received by this Battalion on the afternoon of 10 September, 1950. These maps were not used for preliminary planning prior to this Battalion's embarkation aboard ship at 1400, 11 September, 1950, inasmuch as an operation order had not as yet been received. The Battalion supply train carried sufficient water, rations and ammunition to last for a period of one day. 4. TRAINING AND REHEARSAL: Training aboard ship consisted of physical drill, instruction on amphibious techniques, briefings of the landing operation to take place at Inchon, estimate of the enemy situation, review of technique of combat in built up areas, debarkation drill and the use of scaling ladders and cargo nets as it was planned that the first five boat waves were to land shortly after the tide began to rise and the scaling ladders and cargo nets would be needed as an aid in reaching the top of the sea wall from the LCVP's held "bow on" to the sea wall. 5. LOADING AND EMBARKATION: Upon arrival at Pusan, Korea on 6 September, 1950, BLT 1/5 commenced combat loading of the USS HENRICO. (APA 45) continuing on a 24 hour schedule, until loading was completed on the morning of 11 September, 1950. The first element of the Battalion to go aboard ship was the Battalion cooks who embarked on 6 September, 1950, followed by the messman on 7 September, 1950. The main body of the Battalion commenced embarkation at 1400, 11 September, 1950. Embarkation was completed at 1600, 11 September, 1950. 6. MOVEMENT TO AND ARRIVAL AT OBJECTIVE AREA: The USS HENRICO (APA 45) sailed from Pusan, at 1450, 12 September, 1950, and was underway for a period of three days, arriving at the transport area off the port of Inchon at approximately 1300, 15 September, 1950. Troops began disembarking at 1530, with the first assault wave hitting Red Beach I at 1733. 7. DETAILED COMBAT NARRATIVE: On 30 August, 1950, while in 8th Army Reserve, 3 miles west of Changwon, Korea the Battalion Commander was summoned to the Regimental Command Post and given information as to the general scheme of maneuver for the proposed landing at Inchon. After a short briefing, orders were received to return at 0800 the next morning for further planning and conferences. At 0800 on 31 August, the Battalion Commander returned to the 5th Marines Command Post, only to receive orders that the 1st Battalion would be prepared to move by 1200 to Miryang for operations against the enemy in the Youngsan sector. The single map of Inchon was turned in and no further planning was possible until the Battalion was returned to Pusan, Korea on 6 September after three days of continuous fighting in the Naktong river Bulge in the vicinity of Youngsan. The Battalion casualties during the period amounted to 11 KIA, 84 WIA. The lead elements of BLT 1/5 arrived at Pusan, Korea at 1810, 6 September, 1950 with the last element arriving at the assembly area at 2130. Upon arrival at Pusan, a directive was received stating that at 0001, 13 September, 1950 the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade would be deactivated and would be absorbed by the 1st Marine Division, FMF, under the command of Major General Oliver P. Smith, USMC. During the period 7 September through 11 September, 1950, while waiting to board its assigned ship, the USS HENRICO (APA 45), the Battalion was reorganized and resupplied. Although billeted in a warehouse on the dock at Pusan, the men of the Battalion were fed aboard the USS HENRICO. The Commanding Officer of the USS HENRICO (APA 45), Captain Fradd, also allowed the Battalion the use of the ship's showering facilities. A limited amount of training, consisting of small arms firing for the Battalion and a conditioning hike for the newly arrived "C" Company was accomplished. The Battalion also furnished a detail of 25 instructors to train the Republic of Korea Marines in the firing of rockets and mortars. The USS HENRICO was being combat loaded and readied for embarkation of BLT 1/5 at this time. On the night of 10 September, 1950 all companies were alerted to make preparations to board ship on order because of an approaching typhoon. Actual embarkation of the Battalion commenced at 1400, 11 September, 1950. After embarkation was completed at 1600 that date, 3 Copy of 1/5 Special Action Report dtd 7Oct50 the ship remained tied to the dock at Pusan until 1450, 12 September, 1950 when it got underway with BLT 1/5 and H&S Company, 5th Marines as the major units embarked. Also aboard were a group of war correspondents from the leading American and British newspapers. On 13 September, 1950 all units were informed of the overall mission of the 1st Marine Division and the specific mission of BLT 1/5. A series of briefings on the plan of operation of BLT 1/5 and on the estimate of the enemy situation were conducted regularly while enroute to the Objective area. On 14 September, 1950 the Battalion supply sections issued ammunition and rations to the companies for further distribution to the troops. Upon debarkation, each man was to carry a basic load of ammunition, one days C-4 ration, and two canteens of water. During the afternoon of the 14th a debarkation drill was held for all embarked troops and all boat teams of the first five waves were briefed in the use of the scaling ladders and cargo nets to be employed in clearing the sea wall at the landing beach. On the morning of 15 September, 1950, all units completed last minute preparations and the Battalion stood by to disembark on order. For graphic picture of the Inchon landing see sketch No. 1. As the ship neared the transport area, all troops were ordered to their compartments. At 1530, the assault wave began disembarking from the USS HENRICO into landing craft and proceeded to the rendezvous area. At this time, word was received that H-hour had been postponed for 30 minutes. During the approach of the landing craft to the beach, an intense naval and air bombardment of the landing area took place. Immediately prior to the arrival of the assault wave at the beach, LSM(R)'s fired a 2,000 round rocket concentration on the landing area. An air strike was called on Observatory Hill by the 1st Battalion FAC, 1stLt J. W. Smith, as he was enroute to the beach, using portable equipment in the landing craft. At 1733 the first wave arrived at the sea wall on Red Beach I and disembarked the troops through the use of scaling ladders. Three of the initial landing craft utilized holes blasted in the sea wall to unload their troops. The first three waves, consisting of 14 boats, carried "A" Company, commanded by Captain J. R. Stevens. "A" Company, with the mission of taking Battalion objective No. 1 and their portion of the O-A line, landed amid heavy small arms fire and intermittent mortar fire coming from trenches and bunkers on the beach, from the exposed left flank, and from Battalion objective 1 (Cemetery Hill). The left flank of Red Beach I was strongly defended, in contrast to a fairly weak defense of the right flank. "A" Company assaulted objective I. Captain Stevens, at 1755, fired an amber star cluster signifying the seizure 4 of objective I. "A" Company completed their assigned mission of securing their portion of the O-A line at 2240.